Birds of a Feather FT
by Moonshifter
Summary: Rated for language and future scenes. This story is under major reconstruction so if you've read before, please reread. B&H slash.
1. Exercising Anger

Barbara looked up over her computer screen into the practice gym, just in time to see Helena, clad in skin tight shorts and baby t, run up a wall and gracefully catapult herself off. She couldn't help but stare as her sleek form flipped in mid air, sweat droplets flying off of her forehead, having been formed from heavy training. Helena landed directly on top of a crash dummy, the force of the impact popped off it's head. She watched as it bounced a few times and fell to the level below. Helena moved over and looked down over the railing only to see the head coming to a stand still. A soft "oops" was heard being uttered from Helena's full lips.

Barbara chuckled softly as she wheeled herself to look up at Helena more closely. "You really need to learn to be more careful with those things. That's the fourth one you've ruined in the past week and a half."

"I guess I just don't know my own strength sometimes."

"Most of the time." Barbara corrected. 

"Fine. Most of the time." She jumped down from the railing, landing softly beside Barbara. She gazed down into the redhead's stunningly green eyes. "Why are you always right?"

"Because I'm the Oracle, I'm older than you... and.. oh yeah... I'm also the computer genius here."

Helena turned and stalked off toward the shower. "I didn't need the whole damned list."

Dinah came out of her room as Helena hurried past her. She looked over at Barbara as she sighed softly and glided back over to sit in front of the Delphi system. Dinah walked over to stand behind Barbara, and having heard bits of the conversation, especially the end of it, softly commented, "Temper, temper."

Barbara nodded, adjusting some controls as she spoke, "Yes. You would think those anger management sessions would have helped a little bit by now."


	2. She speaks!

Helena plopped herself down on one of the modern style sofas that graced the presence of Dr. Harleen Quinzel's office. She sighed and put her hands over her eyes trying to figure out how she was going to get herself through the mess that she thought herself to be getting into.

Dr. Quinzel watched her client's body language closely as she was trained so well to do. Quietly she extended her question. "What is wrong Helena?"

Helena stood up off of the sofa and walked over to the window to look down at the bustle and traffic of the city, and remember that she was temporarily outside of that madness and had to deal with the madness inside of her own being.

"You know.. These sessions are useless without you talking to me and letting me know what is wrong. I can only make suggestions and give advice when you talk to me."

Helena turned back around and looked questioningly at Dr. Quinzel, trying to decide if she could trust her with this problem bothering her. Deciding that she could, she proceeded cautiously so that she could retreat should she feel the need.

"I'm just so frustrated."

"And what is causing this frustration?" She lifts her pen to her legal pad, ready to make notes when necessary.

Helena took a deep breath, closed her eyes tightly shut and took her time in replying, surprising Harleen at the fact that she was still talking... something that was highly unusual for her sessions. "Barbara."

"What is Ms. Gordon doing that is causing you such anguish?"

"It's nothing that she's doing... it's more of what I'm doing."

Harleen makes a quick note. "Um hm, I see... and what are you doing?"

Helena turns back around to the window and looks up at the sky this time. "Each time I start to get close to her, I push her away before I realize what I'm doing."

Dr. Quinzel makes another note. "And why.. Do you suppose... do you push Ms. Gordon away?"

Helena sighed again and approached her next words with extreme caution. "I'm... I'm..." Her words sputtered to a stop before she finally forced herself to trudge on and say aloud what she had been battling herself with for almost a month now. "I'm in love."

Dr. Quinzel blinked a few times, trying to figure out if she heard her correctly. When she realized that she had, she replied. "Well congratulations! But I don't understand why you are pushing Ms. Gordon away because of this. I would think she would be happy for the two of you... What's his name anyway?"

"Well... HER name is Barbara... and that's why I've been doing what I have."

Harleen's face was swept over with the 'Deer in the headlights' look. "I wasn't expecting that... but that is still wonderful news... Does Ms. Gordon return these feelings?"

"I... I don't know." She walked away from the window and plopped herself back down onto the sofa.

"Haven't you spoken with her about this?"

"No... I'm almost to love her. And I'm definitely afraid to talk to her about it. Every time I get close to talking about it, I get frustrated with myself and storm off."

"Lets start with why you're afraid to love her... What is your reason?"

"Everyone I have ever loved.." She paused for a moment and took a few long breaths. "Has either left... or gotten killed."

"And you're afraid that if you love Ms. Gordon, she will do the same?"

Helena replied quietly "Um hm..."

"Are you sure that it's not because she's a woman?"

"That's not anywhere near being it. I' ve had a lot of friends that have had beautiful same sex relationships that have lasted longer than most conventional relationships that I have known."

"I believe," Harleen put down her pen after making a few more notes and stepled her fingers. "That if you truly feel this way about her then you would do everything within your power to protect her and make sure that nothing harms her again."

Helena didn't say a word... but nodded agreement.

"And as for you getting frustrated about talking with her, maybe instead of getting upset and yelling, you should stay quiet and listen. Ms. Gordon is a very intelligent woman. Possibly she is giving you the answers you are searching for and you're not receiving them because of your frustration." Harleen stood and walked over to her desk. "Will you do me a favor?"

Helena looked at Harleen skeptically. "Depends on what it is."

Dr. Quinzel took a piece of paper out of a drawer and walked back over to her chair. "Just so that maybe you're more comfortable... and less stressed about speaking with Ms. Gordon about this... Go to a neutral ground, a restaurant, so that you are both more relaxed and open... and casually work it into the conversation." She handed the paper to Helena. "That is a complimentary dinner for two to Dos Lobos. It was given to me for Christmas and I'm not going to use it. Take it, use it... enjoy yourselves." The timer started to ring on the desk, Harleen went over and turned it off. "You know what that means. And now you have no choice but to take the comp."

"I guess I should thank you then."

"None needed... Just remember to be honest with Ms. Gordon. We'll discuss it during our next session.. And I appreciate you speaking with me finally."


	3. The Tension Builds

Dinah trotted down out of the practice gym to talk to Helena as she came in the door after her therapy session. She pondered the reason behind the confused and worried look on Helena's face.

"How did it go?" Dinah asked as she wiped the sweat off of her forehead with a towel.

"The usual. Except that I got some advice that I might actually use."

"Well... good lu-" Dinah patted Helena''s shoulder and the image of Helena kissing Barbara deeply and passionately flooded into her mind. She stammered on her words, "luck... Um... I''m just going to go take a shower now." As she turned and walked away, she muttered under her breath, "A very cold shower."

Helena blinked and tilted her head to the side, not having realized that Dinah had seen her little fantasy. She shook her head and walked off to her room and closed the door gently behind her.

Just before sitting down, she pulled the comp ticket out of her pocket and looked at it carefully, trying to figure out exactly why Dr. Quinzel had been so kind and given it to her. Wasn't that against some doctor patient code or something? She set the ticket on her night stand and laid down, stretching herself out.

She stared at the blank ceiling and started to daydream. If Dinah had been around, she would have blushed and ran at the vivid contents of the dream.

Helena pulled Barbara up out of her wheelchair and cradled her in her arms as she gently laid her down on the bed. She lowered herself down on top of the green-eyed beauty, making sure to not hurt her.

Helena's hair fell to create a curtain between them and the world. After looking deeply into each others eyes for a few moments, they closed the gap between them and their lips meet harshly in a deep kiss.

A knock was heard at the door and Helena jumped about four feet. After pulling herself up off of the bed where she landed, she went over to the door and opened it to see Dinah standing there with a towel draped around her neck, her hair dripping wet.

"What do you want?" she asked as she allowed Dinah into the room.

Dinah walked in and shut the door behind her. "We need to talk."

"About what?" She plopped back down on the bed and stretched out as much as her lean frame would allow.

"About Barbara."

Helena sat bolt upright, a look of terror coming over her face. "What happened! Is she alright?"

"She's fine. Nothing's happened yet that I know of."

"Yet? Okay... You so have some explaining to do now."

Dinah carefully sat down beside her friend and looked her over a bit critically. "You have a crush on her don't you?"

The brunette's eyes widened and she blinked a few times before sitting up beside Dinah. "How... You didn't!"

"Did what?"

"You read my thoughts didn't you?"

"I swear it was an accident."

"Uh huh.. What did you see?"

"More than I wanted to."

Helena put her head down in her hands, "Shit."

"So, what are you going to do about it?" Dinah looked at Helena, tentatively waiting for an answer.

Helena quietly put her head down in her hands, then sighed, "I don''t know."

"You should talk to her about it."

"And get kicked out for being more of a freak than I already am? Uh huh... I don't think so." She leaned back and ran her fingers through her hair. "Sorry, but I'm not in the mood to live on the streets."

"Oh come on Helena, you know that Barbara isn't like that.. I don't think she would throw you in the streets. I mean if she was to throw someone out, it would be me more than you. I mean she has known you longer. Why would this be any different?"

"Because this is so much of a bigger ordeal then anything else we've been through before."

Dinah gave Helena a look... if looks could kill... "I'm pretty sure you guys have been through tougher... you''re superheroes, there are always tough times."

"But she'd likely hate me if I told her."

Dinah lowered her head, "I don't think she'd hate you just..," she shrugged, "what if she feels the same?"

"I don't think she does."

"How do you know?"

"I don't I just don't think Barbara could be that way."

"Look Helena, I just think you should get your feelings out before they get the best of you and overflow."

"I've done well with keeping my feelings to myself, thank you."

"I don't see it. I mean you start talking to Barbara and then you totally blow her off. I don't think that is well kept in.. she's gonna figure it out someway."

"It wouldn't surprise me, she's very smart" A dreamy look took over Helena's face as she thought of it.

Dinah sighed at the sight in front of her, which only confirmed the statement she had just made. "See, it's going to eat you... it will affect your work and social life. Just tell her."

"No, leave me alone."

"I'm just trying to help you."

Helena snarled and glared at Dinah. "Go away. I don't need help."

"You think I haven't seen this happen before? I've looked into many minds to know what it feels like Helena, it's eating you and I can feel it."

"Go away."

Dinah backed away a bit, "I'm only suggesting..."

Helena growled as her pupils changed to that of a cat's, "Go... away."

Dinah stood up from the bed and moved back a little bit more. "OK I see that your mad... and so... I'll leave"

"Thank you." She stood and went over to the door to hold it open for Dinah.

Dinah slowly moved toward the door. "Can't say I didn't try." Before leaving she looked at Helena. "Just letting you know, if you need anyone to talk to, I'm here for you." She left and Helena quietly shut the door behind her.


	4. Dinah's Angst

Dinah walked out of Helena's room, shaking her head slightly.

"I swear that woman needs to sit down and really think about what she wants out of herself."

Dinah went into the gym in the loft and started punching at the bag some more, as she had been doing before her run in with Helena's mind.

The sound of the bag drew the attention of a recently awoken Barbara who wheeled herself out of her room and into the main Delphi terminal area. She stopped and looked up, watching Dinah grab the fighting sticks and begin to kill the bag.

Dinah thought to herself as she kicked the bag harder. 'What the fuck am I supposed to do? I do the best I can to help and she pushes me away and Barbara even further.'

Dinah is startled by the sound of Barbara clearing her throat and one of the sticks goes flying across the loft and against the far wall. She turns beet red with embarrassment as she goes to pick up the stick. "Sorry. Did I wake you?"

"Not at all... I was about to get up anyway. What's wrong?" Barbara wheeled herself up the ramp side into the loft.

Dinah shrugged, attempting to calm down, "Life, relationships, other stuff. Not a big thing."

The word 'relationships' caught the Oracle's attention. "Relationships? You got a boyfriend didn't you?"

Dinah stopped for a few moments and looked at Barbara seriously. "I did not find a boyfriend, thank you. I've just been thinking about it." She hoped that 'it' wouldn't be questioned.

An evil grin swept across Barbara's face. "What do you mean 'it'? It's a woman isn't it?"

"You could say that I guess."

Barbara practically turned into a high school girl with her next line of rapidly fired questions. "What's her name? Where did you meet her? How long have you known her? Is she in one of your classes?"

"Well, its sorta difficult to explain."

"Then just take your time, but SPILL."

Dinah tucked the sticks into her back pockets. "It's not even my relationship. I've got these friends, like you and Helena, they're a couple.. And I just have problems with spazing out when I pick up thoughts from them. I mean, it's not even my relationship and I'm spazing out on it."

"Wait a minute.. Like me and Helena... are you implying that she and I are a couple?"

"No, I'm not trying to say that at all."

"Alright, I guess I just misunderstood what you were trying to say... So what is upsetting you so much? Is it the fact that there are two women in a relationship?"

"Ya know.." Pulls out the sticks again and starts hitting the bag harder each time. "I have no problem with it at all... Love is love no matter what form... But it's just that... well, they're not even really in a relationship yet..."

"So they have an attachment to each other?"

"Well, they've both known each other for a long time... and feelings have changed, mutated if you will. But they're both afraid to admit it to the other."

"Hm... very interesting..." Barbara's mind wandered to the thought of Helena crouched on the ledge of the clock tower, her brunette hair gently flowing in the breeze... and the way that her leather pants perfectly form around her legs.

Her thoughts were pulled back to the present by Dinah roundhouse kicking the bag, then beating the shit out of it with the fighting sticks. "Wow. Someone has stepped up her practice."

Dinah stops mid hit and looks at the red-haired woman. "Huh? Oh. I think its just the frustration."

"Could be... But you know... I don't think they would want to upset you over all of this... Have you spoken with them about it?"

"I tried..But I don't think she liked what I was saying."

"Have you spoken with both of them?"

"Not exactly."

"Well, maybe you should do that. It couldn't hurt."

Dinah thought to herself. 'Yeah, it could... very much so.'

"Thank you for your help Barbara. I'm going to see what I can do." A single drop of sweat fell off of the tip of Dinah's nose as she went back down the stairs, and back to the showers for the second time that day.


	5. The Jig is Up

Barbara wheeled down out of the gym loft and stopped in front of the french doors leading out to the ledge of the clock tower where she often sat. Instead of going outside, she just merely looked and watched. Helena, in her Huntress gear was crouched down near the edge, looking down upon the city, her quiet appearance bringing concern to the Oracle, but yet she couldn't help but admire her strength and determination.

Barbara tilted her head to one side, watching quietly, her mind wandering over her earlier conversation with Dinah. Could she have been talking about Helena? After all, Helena had been acting quite strange in the past month or so. Its almost been like she was afraid to talk to Barbara... either that or very pissed off at her.

Helena took a deep breath and stood quietly, her mind racing in spite of itself. She turned around and froze in her spot at the sight of Barbara sitting in front of the doors, watching her. Barbara quietly opened the door for Helena and smiled at her.

"Hey there."

"How long have you been watching me?"

"Not long, why?"

"Just asking."

"Is there something on your mind tonight Helena?" A concerned look on her face.

"A little bit... But nothing for you to worry about."

Barbara looked at her questioningly, but decided to stray away from it for now. "Alright then... But hey, I was thinking... I haven't gotten out of the tower for quite awhile... would you like to go to dinner or something with me sometime this week?"

Helena's mind immediately jumped to the comp ticket sitting on her bedside table. "Um, yeah actually.. You know that little Mexican restaurant you like, Dos Lobos?"

Barbara's eyebrows raised slightly, "That one down on W. 80th?"

"Yeah.. That's the one.. Would you like to go there on Wednesday night? And maybe we could get Dinah to hang back here."

Barbara smiled softly, "Sounds like a plan to me."

Helena walked over and stood beside Barbara. "Maybe we can talk then. I think we need to." She bent down and gently kissed Barbara's cheek and walked past into her room, shutting the door behind her.

Barbara was left sitting by the door, her hand placed on her cheek where she had just been kissed. She whispered softly, "I was hoping we could talk sooner." She sighed softly, then turned to shut the doors again and then went over to sit in front of the Delphi system, debating heavily if she shouldn't go talk to Helena now and not wait till Wednesday. After all, that was still two days away and she didn't know if she could watch Helena stew for that long.

Helena threw herself onto her bed and started mentally yelling at herself because of what she had done. When she was going to her room, she couldn't even bring herself to turn around and find out what Barbara's reaction had been... How could she have been so stupid!

There was a knock on the door and Helena quickly stopped her thought process in case it was Dinah again... She didn't need to put that girl into therapy. "Who is it?"

Barbara smirked before she replied, "Alyson Hannigan."

Helena chuckled softly and sat up. "Come in Barbara."

She opened the door and wheeled herself in, "Thanks," she said as she closed the door. "I've been thinking about earlier when you came in off of the ledge."

"What do you mean? Why have you been thinking about that?"

"You've just seemed liked you've had a lot on your mind and you been thinking about something very serious. I just want to offer my help if I can." She gave Helena a wide puppy dog look with her big emerald eyes.

Helena looked at those puppy dog eyes and tried to hold back telling her until their dinner.

"Pwease. I want to help." Quivers her bottom lip.

"Dammit.. You know I can't resist that... There is something. But I don't know how to say it."

"You know we've been through a lot before. You know that I am always here for you and that I will love you no matter what happens." Barbara takes Helena's hand in her own.

Helena looked down at her hand and placed her other hand on top of Barbara's, then looked up into Barbara's eyes. "That's what I'm hoping for." She leaned forward quickly and kissed her, hard, and full on the lips.

Barbara blinked at Helena as she retreated from the kiss, her mind running through her conversation with Dinah earlier, and her own feelings about Helena. "Well... that was..."

After a few moments of Barbara not continuing, Helena pulled he hands away from her and started to get up. "I knew that was a bad idea." Barbara grabbed Helena's cloak and pulled her back down onto the bed. Even after this, Helena couldn't look up at the red headed woman in front of her. Barbara reached over and cradled Helena's cheek, Helena, in turn, looked up with the look of a child who just got caught with their hand in the cookie jar.

The Oracle grinned and suppressed a chuckle. "Is that what you were worried about?"

Helena didn't say a word, only nodded.

"That was nothing for you to worry about. And you could have told me that sooner you know... But thank you for telling me now." She leaned forward and initiated another kiss. Both women melted into each other's hands and arms.

As they released each other, Helena finally decided to speak up. "Does this mean that dinner on Wednesday is a date?"

"Well, let me see... Dinner... with the most beautiful woman I know. I'd say that would be a yes." She smiled broadly.

Helena couldn't help but blush.

"You look so cute like that."


End file.
